Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was established in 1910 by the Ceylonese legislation Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance, which reformed the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF) that existed previously as the military reserve in the British Crown colony of Ceylon. At the time of forming it was only a reserve force but soon developed into a regular force responsible for the defence of Ceylon. The CDF was under the command of the General Officer Commanding, Ceylon of the British Army in Ceylon if mobilized. However mobilization could be carried out only under orders from the Governor.
A rifle regiment is a military unit consisting of a regiment of infantry troops armed with rifles and known as riflemen. While all infantry units in modern armies are typically armed with rifled weapons the term is still used to denote regiments that follow the distinct traditions that differentiated them from other infantry units.
The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya is the highest decoration awarded by the Sri Lankan military, equivalent to the British Victoria Cross and the United States Medal of Honor. The medal is awarded to all ranks of the tri services, to both regular- and volunteer forces, in recognition of:
...individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of a non-military nature of the most exceptional order performed voluntarily with no regard to his own life and security with the objective of saving or safeguarding the life or lives of a person or personnel imperiled by death or for a meritorious act or a series of acts of a humane nature of an exceptional order displayed in saving life from drowning, fire and rescue operations in mines, floods and similar calamities under circumstances of grave bodily injury or great danger to the life of the rescuer...
The Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) is the oldest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army and the oldest infantry regiment in the army. It is made up of ten regular battalions and five volunteer battalions, and is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda. Over the years it has become the most distinguished and dependable regiment in the army.
The Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army has a long history dating back to the mid-18th century. The earliest existing subunit of the Corps dates back to 1777 while the Corps officially recognises its birth as 1780 when the senior most group of the Corps, the Madras Sappers were raised.
The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) is the principal and volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard. The SLAVF is made up of part-time officers and soldiers. They are paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their regular equivalents. This is in contrast to the Regular Army Reserve, which comprises people who have a mobilization obligation following their service in the regular army. Administration and recruitment of reserve personal is carried out by the Volunteer Force Headquarters in Battaramulla. The commandant is Major General Piyal de Zoysa Wickramaratne.
General Deshamanya Don Sepala Attygalle, LVO, idc, psc, SLAC was a Sri Lankan military leader, civil servant and diplomat. The longest serving Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1967–1977), he went on to serve as the Permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps (SLMC) is a specialist corps in the Sri Lanka Army which provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of 4 regular units and one volunteer unit. Headquartered in Colombo, formally at army headquarters. The corps Cap badge depicting the Rod of Asclepius.
Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. It also houses one of the main Military Hospitals operated by the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps. It is one of the largest military bases in Sri Lanka.
The Corps of Engineer Services (CES) a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. The role of the Corps of Engineer Services is to design, construct and maintain all buildings, roads and associated facilities such as electricity, water supply and drainage systems used by the Sri Lanka Army, Apart from this, the Regiment is also responsible for the installation, maintenance and repair of all types of generators, water pumps, sewer pumps, desalination plants and other electrical appliances. It is made up of 6 regular units and 9 volunteer (reserve) units and is headquartered at its Regiment Center at the Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
Major General K.A.D. Amal Karunasekara, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndu, psc was a senior Sri Lankan army officer and 51st Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.
Brigadier M. H. Gunaratne, VSV, psc, SLAC was a Sri Lankan military officer, former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East, Commander, Task Force I and Task Force III and Commandant, Army Training Centre
The 21 Division is a division of the Sri Lanka Army. Established on 4 April 1988, the division is currently based in Anuradhapura in the North Central Province. The division is a part of Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni and has three brigades and seven battalions. Brigadier H. R. K. P. Peiris has been commander of the division since 11 January 2013. The division is responsible for 7,100 square kilometres (2,741 sq mi) of territory.
General Akurathiya Withanage Jagath Crishanthe de Silva, RWP, USP, ndu, psc is a Sri Lankan general and a military engineer. He has held command of both the Sri Lanka Army as well as the position of Chief of Defence Staff.
Major General Channa Gunathilaka, RSP, USP, ndc, psc, SLE is a Sri Lankan general, who is the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. He was the former Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, Security Force Commander (Central), Military Secretary, Security Force Commander (Kilinochchi), GOC - 56th Infantry Division, GOC - Mannar.
Lieutenant General N.U.M. Mahesh W. Senanayke, RWP, RSP, VSV,
USP, psc is a senior Sri Lanka Army officer and a military engineer. He is the current Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, and Colonel of the Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment. A veteran of all four phases of the Sri Lankan Civil War, he has served in both its Northern- and Eastern theatres.
